Review of Domestic level Carbon Accounting Tools: Lessons from a

Passive House Case Study

Asif Din LMUDr Luisa Brotas LMU

With thanks to Prof. Sue Roaf HW

Impact on

Life cycle analysis

•CO2

- Global warming

Life cycle analysis

•CO2

- Global warming

•NOx

, SOx

- Acidification

Life cycle analysis

•CO2

- Global warming

•NOx

, SOx

- Acidification

•Pollutants to air, water, land

Life cycle analysis

•CO2

- Global warming

•NOx

, SOx

- Acidification

•Pollutants to air, water, land•Resource depletion

Life cycle analysis

•CO2

- Global warming

•NOx

, SOx

- Acidification

•Pollutants to air, water, land•Resource depletion•VoC- Human Health

CO2

??

Wait.....IPCC

Truer reflectionCO

2

eq

CO2

eq/m2

CO2

eq/m2

BS EN 15978:2011

Athena eco calculator Athena Impact estimator Basic freight modelling calculator BEEs Carbon intervention transport tool Coolfarm Eco transit IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in WRAP net waste tool Retscreen 4 Retscreen plus Zero carbon waste scotland

Athena eco calculator Athena Impact estimator Basic freight modelling calculator BEEs Carbon intervention transport tool

Coolfarm Eco transit IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in WRAP net waste tool Retscreen 4

Retscreen plus Zero carbon waste scotland

•Not building related

•Not building related

•Requires background data to assess another •factor

•Not building related

•Requires background data to assess another •factor

•Uses monitored data to provide an answer

Athena eco calculatorAthena Impact estimator BEEs

Basic freight modelling calculatorEco transit IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in WRAP net waste tool Zero carbon waste Scotland

RICS SMM7List all materials

RICS SMM7List all materials

Common units linear m, m2

, m3

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3Determine volume

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3Determine volumeDetermine density

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3Determine volumeDetermine densityDetermine weight

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3Determine volumeDetermine densityDetermine weightICE database

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3

industry volumes paint tinsboxes of tilespartial loads of concretestandardised lengths of timber

Determine volumeDetermine densityDetermine weightICE database

RICS SMM7List all materialsCommon units linear m, m2, m3

industry volumes paint tinsboxes of tilespartial loads of concretestandardised lengths of timber

Determine volumeDetermine densityDetermine weightICE database

Determine CO2

eq

Athena eco calculator

•Excel spreadsheet•Simple geometric form•Limited construction options•Limited to US and Canadian cities

Athena eco calculator

•Not take into account site•Approximations•60% of modified ICE result•Covers more LC stages•Influence of location unclear

Athena eco calculator

Athena Impact estimator

Athena Impact estimator

•Specialist software•Custom constructions•US and Canadian cities•Includes operational energy•Can change lifespan of building

Athena Impact estimator

•400mm limit on constructions•Less categories than Eco calculator•Operational energy calculation simple•Operational energy annualised only•900% less than ICE database

BEEsBuilding for environmental and Economic Sustainability

BEEs

•Online tool•Side by side comparison•Results weighted over a range of factors

BEEs

•Limited in choices•Hard to disaggregate results•Cannot compare as unit rate not given•Influence of US data on UK results

Basic freight modelling calculator

Basic freight modelling calculator

•On line calculator•Enter weight of goods•Enter distance travelled•Framing timber taken for building from Canada

Basic freight modelling calculator

•Weight not only criteria volume, length•Crow flies distances not applicable•Not clear where materials come from•Distribution centres and middle men•30% higher than RICs data on materials transport

Eco transit

•On line tool•Source and destination entered•Trade routes established•Calculation on weight and container used

Eco transit

•Similar results to Freight calculator•Established trade routes not given•Distance 50% higher than freight calculator but 80% of result•More significant than RICs figure

Eco transit

IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in

IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in

•Sketch up•Limited amount of information•US based constructions•Substitutions required for domestic use

IES-VE SBEM sketch up plug in

•Single answer recalculated quickly•Specialist model required•650% of SAP figure•Material selections and energy sources

WRAP net waste tool

WRAP net waste tool

•On line tool•Minimal data•All items constructed on site

WRAP net waste tool

•Benchmarking tool•Granularity not for a house•Little advice given•Data on wastage per material type would be useful range of figures

Zero carbon waste Scotland

Zero carbon waste Scotland

•Excel spreadsheet•Quantities based without mistakes•Categories are tight so assumptions made

Zero carbon waste Scotland

•Great deal of number manipulation required•No evaluation of results•Benchmarking difficult on small scale•Wastage scenarios can be evaluated only across different spreadsheets

BS EN 15978:2011